


Walking Feet

by NerdyFangirling



Series: When you're a dumbass [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Asexual Steve Rogers, Captain America Steve Rogers/Modern Bucky Barnes, M/M, Oblivious Bucky Barnes, and besides I'm incapable of writing about feeling like that because idk what it feels like, as in he does not realise he's talking to captain america, but I saw a tumblr post and thought "damn this could make a good fic", but I was somewhat projecting as I wrote this, disaster gay bucky barnes, functional bi steve rogers, honestly idk what this is, i mean kinda, it's not really mentioned, meet cute, meet ugly, or all that relevant to the plot, preschool teacher Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-19 02:28:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20323594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NerdyFangirling/pseuds/NerdyFangirling
Summary: The first thing he noticed was that the man was handsome. Very handsome. The second thing he noticed was that the treadmill was still moving - and his feet weren't."See, this is why we use our walking feet instead of our running feet, isn't it?" Steve looked up to see the Hot Guy standing next to him."Yeah," Steve replied, still a little dazed. "Yeah, I guess it is."aka Steve is only sometimes a functional bi and falling off a treadmill because a hot guy walked past? This is not one of these times.Literally just rated T for swearing





	Walking Feet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flightlessdragons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightlessdragons/gifts).

> Thanks to Teddy for beta reading but mostly for actually getting me to write this
> 
> Basically I saw a tumblr post about accidentally talking to a stranger like a child after working with kids for ages, wrote this in a day, accidentally deleted all 850 words I had so far, and then rewrote it. So I hope y'all enjoy?

It was weird, Steve thought. He had been out of the ice long enough now that he was starting to take the technology of the 21st century for granted, but he had still lived enough of his life before the ice that the new technology still surprised him. Instead of ice boxes, everyone had a refrigerator now. Instead of a radio and a record player, everyone just used their phones. Instead of running outside, where he would inevitably be swarmed by people at some point, he could run on a machine in the gym.

Tony had offered for Steve to use the gym at the Avengers Tower when he refurbished, but after Steve had moved into his own apartment, it didn't seem worth the commute. There was a perfectly fine gym in this neighbourhood, and he didn't mind people seeing him there. Everyone there was nice enough to respect his privacy, and he'd even made a few friends.

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) none of them were there today, so when the new guy walked into the gym Steve couldn't miss him. The first thing he noticed was that the man was handsome. Very handsome. The second thing he noticed was that the treadmill was still moving - and his feet weren't.

Falling off a treadmill was embarrassing enough under normal circumstances, but being Captain America falling off a treadmill? And all because of a hot guy walking past? Steve was mortified as he hit the ground.

"See, this is why we use our walking feet instead of our running feet, isn't it?" A voice said, almost patronisingly. Steve looked up to see the Hot Guy standing next to him. He must be used to working with children, Steve thought, because he could see the moment that the man realised what he'd said, and to whom. The look of disapproval suddenly gave way to shock; his eyes widened, his mouth opened slightly, and a blush made its way up his neck and cheeks.

"Yeah," Steve replied, still a little dazed. "Yeah, I guess it is." His lips were turned up at the corners. Now that the initial shock was over, he could see the funny side of their situation. Here was Steve, here was  _ Captain America _ , lying on the floor of the gym after falling off a treadmill, being told off by a Hot Guy for not using his walking feet. It was comical really.

Sam and Nat would definitely get a kick out of this story when he told them about it.  _ If _ he ever told them about it. They might have a little too much fun with it, and Steve really did value his dignity. Not that his current situation would back up that statement.

Getting up, he took the opportunity to look the man up and down. He had short, brown hair, grey-blue eyes, and just a hint of a beard. His muscles were easily visible through his gym shirt, and his arms were nearly as big as Steve's own. Well, arm, singular. His left arm was made of metal and appeared to be joint at the shoulder. Looking back up at the man's face, it seemed he hadn't managed to see the funny side of their situation just yet. He was looking at Steve as though the best case scenario was the ground opening up and swallowing him whole.

Deciding that that just wouldn't do, Steve held out his hand.

"I'm Steve," he said, and then because he couldn't help himself, "thanks for the advice."

At least this seemed to snap the man out of his shock.

"Oh my  _ God,  _ I am so sorry, I usually work with kids and it's just been such a long day and I haven't really gotten out of my work mode, holy shit I'm so sorry, I can't believe I just told you to use your  _ walking feet _ for Christ's sake, this is so embarrassing -"

Sensing the man wasn't going to stop apologising anytime soon, Steve interrupted with an amicable smile. "It's okay, really. You have no reason to be embarrassed - I'm the idiot who fell off the treadmill." This got him a small smile. Definitely a win. He tried again. "What's your name?"

"I- uh- Bucky. My name, it's uh- it's Bucky." The man - Bucky - looked him in the eyes for the first time. Steve thought they might be the kind of eyes someone could get lost in.

"So do you usually go around telling people to use their walking feet?" Steve teased.

"Oh  _ God _ ," Bucky sighed, carding his metal hand through his hair. It was endearing. "No, I don't. Like I said, I work with kids and haven't really switched out of work mode yet. I'm a preschool teacher so I spend a lot of time trying to keep them out of trouble, and making sure they walk instead of running is both the easiest and the hardest way to do that. I spend a  _ lot _ of my time telling them to stop running."

"Ah, well, it sure is a shame that none of them were here to see you proved right then."

Clearly easing into the conversation - assumedly now that he was no longer reliving the moment in his head - Bucky grinned at Steve. "I know! They'll never believe me when I tell them they need to use their walking feet in case of faulty treadmills."

"Hmm sure. We can blame the treadmill if it makes me come out of this story lookin' any better."

Bucky laughed, and the sound made Steve feel warm inside. It wasn't often that he felt so at ease with someone he had just met, and yet here he was. Joking and laughing with this man as if they'd been friends their whole lives. Part of him wanted to ensure they stayed friends the rest of their lives. But that was ridiculous, they’d only just met each other. Could they even really be called friends? Steve wasn’t sure what exactly it was that they had, but he knew he wanted to keep it - strengthen it if Bucky would let him.

“Hey, so I figure you actually came here to do more than laugh at an idiot for falling off a treadmill, but once you’re done do you wanna get a coffee or something?” God he hoped Bucky said yes. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if he didn't, obviously, but, well. It sure would feel like it.

“Yeah, that’d be great! I’ll just be a few minutes if you don’t mind hanging around? Assuming you’re already done that is.” At this, Steve hesitated. He had, in fact, been planning on leaving after his run which was cut short, but what was Bucky here for if it would only take a few minutes? And with all his gym gear too. “Which of these machines do you reckon would make for the best photo?” And  _ oh _ . He was one of  _ those  _ people who just go to take photos for their instagram. Even Steve knew about  _ those _ people. And he’d just invited one on a date - or to coffee at least. He wasn’t sure if Bucky was even into guys let alone if he would count this as a date.

His face must have visibly fallen, because it barely took a second before Bucky’s expression changed from mildly curious to a shit-eating grin. His accompanying laughter looked to be so hard that he couldn’t breathe, but honestly he deserved it for making Steve think that he was the type of asshole who pretends to work out to make others think better of them without actually putting in any effort. Steve glared at him in response, but it didn’t last long.

Between fits of laughter and sucking in breaths, Bucky somehow managed to get out, “Oh man, you should have seen the look on your face! You thought - you thought I - that I was only here to  _ pretend _ to work out! Man your face was  _ priceless _ !”

Despite his best efforts, Steve’s mock-glare dissolved pretty quickly into laughter. It wasn’t his fault Bucky’s was contagious. And he was pretty relieved he hadn’t just asked out a gym-douche - or, fake-gym-douche. Whatever. Instead, he’d asked out a guy with a pretty good sense of humour - and a pretty good face too.

“You’re a real jerk, you know that right?” Because he may have been laughing, but he had to point that out on principle.

“Sure punk, but you like me anyway.” Another shit-eating grin. It was a good look on Bucky, which was fortunate, Steve thought, because it seemed to be a pretty common one. “I’ll actually be done in about an hour if that suits you?”

For the first time since the shock had worn off at the beginning of the conversation, Bucky’s voice had lost its confident edge.

“Yeah that’d be great! Do you want to meet here, or would the coffee shop down the street work better?” 

Bucky’s smile reappeared - this time a genuine one, as if he was truly looking forward to their, well, whatever it was, and what Steve wouldn’t give for it to stay there forever. “Maybe at the cafe? Much as I’d love to meet you as soon as possible, I’m pretty sure you won’t want me there all sweaty from the gym. I might go home and shower first?” It was phrased as a statement, yet asked as a question, asking permission to be clean for their date. It was definitely a date, Steve concluded, if Bucky was genuinely as excited by the prospect of it as he seemed.

“Sorry, not an option. How can I make sure I’m the better looking guy if you aren’t at a disadvantage?” Not that that was true. He knew that with this new body and the fame that came with it he was considered attractive, but even all sweaty from the gym, Steve was sure Bucky would come out on top.

With a chuckle, Bucky rolled his eyes. “Ah right, so silly of me to want to look presentable. I hope you can forgive me.”

Steve pretended to think about it for a couple of seconds. Finally, with a grin, “Alright. I suppose you can have a shower. But not too long, I want my coffee.”

“Yes sir.” Bucky gave him a lazy two-fingered salute. Steve honestly couldn’t tell if Bucky knew who he was. It had initially seemed like he recognised him, but as the conversation progressed it became more and more likely that he had just been embarrassed to have talked to any adult like a child, and that he truly hadn’t realised that it had been Captain America. But then he just saluted him, as if paying homage to his identity, so maybe he had just been playing it cool. Either way, it was certainly nice to talk to someone new without his job immediately coming up. “So I’ll meet you at the coffee shop in an hour?”

“Yup, sounds good to me.”

With a final wave, Bucky turned from Steve, and they parted ways. As he walked out of the door of the gym, Steve’s mind wandered to what he was going to wear later. After all, he had an hour to make sure he was looking his best, and he intended to make the most of it.

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so I'm like 2000 words into writing Bucky's perspective of this, and it kind of includes the date, so that'll probably be up soon too idk
> 
> Also I'm sorry I love long-haired Bucky but he literally works with children it's incredibly impractical, they will grab any and everything they can get their hands on.
> 
> Working title was "When you're a dumbash and fall off the treadmill in front of a hot guy" (but I have the good place chrome extension on my laptop, so it was really "When you're a dumbash and fall off the treadmill in front of a hot guy" and I feel like that statement sums me up in every possible way) hence the series title


End file.
